Virgin Hotels Chicago has opened its newest restaurant, street-level diner Miss Ricky’s. The name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to Virgin’s founder Richard Branson.
“Miss Ricky’s is the third of four public dining offerings in Virgin Hotels, and is the perfect complement to the Commons Club, where smaller plates are served. The diner, along with our coffee and wine bar, Two Zero Three, have created a new Loop dining experience, with options that aren’t currently available in the neighborhood,” says Marlene Leslie, vice president of F&B for Virgin Hotels.
A wide offering of traditional Americana fare is available, with menu item names that reference American places and culture, such as the Great Lakes Reuben.
Miss Ricky’s was designed in collaboration with Rockwell Group Europe. A contemporary, yet 1950s diner aesthetic was achieved using suspended streamline modern lamps, classic penny round flooring, leather upholstered walls, and music-inspired artwork. A more intimate space, known as the Casting Room, is available for meetings and private dining, and is adorned with movie spotlights and a gold-embellished vintage ceiling. Snipped ties decorate a feature wall at the entrance in another nod to Branson.
